Kenyan · Mombasa, Kenya · Born 8 August 1994Current women's marathon world record holder.
Ruth Chepng'etich was born on 8 August 1994 in Kenya, and developed into one of the finest marathon runners in history, winning gold in the marathon at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha. Chepngetich won the Chicago Marathon three times, in 2021, 2022, and 2024, and delivered the performance of her career at the 2024 race, shattering the women's world record by nearly two minutes with a time of 2:09:56, becoming the first woman ever to break 2 hours and 10 minutes for the distance. Chepngetich dedicated her historic run to fellow Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum, who had set the men's marathon world record at the same race the previous year before his death in a car accident, saying "the world record has come back to Kenya" in his honour. Chepngetich was given a three-year suspension from competition by the Athletics Integrity Unit beginning in April 2025, after testing positive for the banned substance hydrochlorothiazide, which she later admitted to using. Her world record and career achievements remain a significant part of marathon running history even as her competitive future remains in question.
Marathon
How They Played
Aggressive front-running style with exceptional endurance and strong finishing kick
Lasting Impact
One of the greatest female marathon runners, revolutionized women's marathon times
Career Honours
- World champ marathon 2019
- marathon WR 2:09:56 (2024)
Kenyan Athletes